National Headache Disorders Initiative

(a) In general The Secretary shall carry out an initiative, to be known as the National Headache Disorders Initiative (in this section referred to as the NHDI), in accordance with the requirements of this section. (b) Components In carrying out the NHDI, the Secretary shall— (1) establish and implement a comprehensive program to address the medical, societal, and economic impacts of headache disorders; (2) take such actions as may be necessary to increase the clinical and research workforce focused on the care of patients with headache disorders; (3) coordinate with other Federal initiatives with missions that overlap with NHDI, including the Helping End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Initiative, the NIH Pain Consortium, the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee, and the Centers of Excellence in Pain Education; (4) ensure that Federal resources available to support headache disorders research and services across all agencies are commensurate with the high disease burden exacted by these conditions; (5) ensure prioritization of fundamental, translational, and clinical research to improve the speed, accuracy, and cost of diagnosis of headache disorders, and the development of innovative therapeutics to prevent and ameliorate the symptoms of headache disorders; (6) improve protocols for the diagnosis and the coordination of care of headache disorders, including care pathways that address comorbid medical conditions; (7) enhance the epidemiological database of headache disorders to ensure comprehensive and inclusive data collection that improves clinical care, research, and public health efforts while addressing disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and access to care; (8) enhance social research of headache disorders and coordinate public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma associated with such disorders; and (9) coordinate with international bodies to integrate and inform global efforts surrounding headache disorders. (c) Duties The Secretary shall— (1) oversee the establishment and updating of the NHDI; and (2) evaluate all Federal programs related to headache disorders, including budget requests and approvals.